Anti-Corruption Investigation of Finance Minister Nearly Complete

6 months ago

NAYPYITAW — U Aung Kyi, chairman of Myanmar’s Anti-Corruption Commission, said on Wednesday that the investigation of Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Kyaw Win for corruption is almost complete.

The commission received complaints against him on May 3 and formed an investigation body four days later.

“We have investigated witnesses and checked documents. The investigation is almost complete now,” he told the reporters in Naypyitaw, adding that he would report the findings to the president and parliamentary speakers soon.

Since last week, news reports have circulated alleging that the minister and his son are being investigated for corruption by the commission and the Bureau of Special Investigation (BSI), which is under the Home Affairs Ministry.

Their home in Yangon was searched and U Kyaw Win has also been banned from leaving the country, according to reports.

When the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party named nominees for ministerial positions in March 2016, it came out that U Kyaw Win’s doctoral degree in finance published on his CV that was made public was fake.

U Aung Kyi declined to provide details about the investigation. “We are not obliged to disclose,” he said, adding that the investigation is different from a court trial.

Sometimes, it takes up to three months for the commission to investigate complaints. If a complaint is valid, the commission has to seek the approval of the concerned ministry or concerned supervisors to file a complaint [to police] against the accused, said U Aung Kyi.

“Only after we get the approval, can we file complaints with concerned police stations. Only then can we disclose details, as it concerns the human dignity of individuals,” he said.

The commission announced on May 13 that it had created six teams to investigate 18 complaints but declined to provide details of the cases. The commission has not officially denied the media reports.

The commission said in March that it received nearly 1,800 complaints since January, most of which were filed against the Ministry of Home Affairs, controlled by the Myanmar Army.